Uncoupling assemblies for railway cars



Nov. 5, 1968 s. o. TAYLOR 3,409,146

UNCOUPLING ASSEMBLIES FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed June 16, 1966 FIG.4

IN VEN TOR QM.I

ATTORNEY STEADMON TAYLOR ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE A railway car uncoupling lever assembly including inner and outer slide members having flat. shank portions which slidably abut against one another. Guide tabs project beyond each shank portion and are bent over against the back of the opposite shank portion so that the shank portions slide longitudinally but not laterally with respect to one another. The inner slide member includes a hooked end portion for engaging the lock lifter on a coupler, while the outer slide member includes a handle and a connecting portion interposed between the. handle and its shank portion. Theconnecting portion is journaled in a bracket on the car frame.

.This invention relates in general to uncoupling lever assemblies for railway cars and more particularly, to uncoupling lever assemblies for rail cars having cushioned underframes or swingably mounted couplers or both.

Many railway cars of current manufacture are consid erably longer than the conventional rail cars of a decade center sills on such cars of extended length are often flanged outwardly so that the coupler shank, which is pinned to the yoke therein, isfree for swingable movement within such flanged end portion,.-whereby the coupler head can move. laterally with respect to-the car frame. Other cars of current manufacture employ socalled cushioned underframes having floating center sills which move longitudinally with respect to-the car frame when severe impacts are encountered such as during switching and coupling operations. Since the couplers on such cars are carried by the center sills, they also move to-and-fro with respect to the car frame.

Inasmuch as'governmental regulations require that the operating handles of the uncoupling levers be located at the side of the car so that trainmen can open the couplers without stepping between adjacent cars and endangering their safety, such uncoupling levers must accommodate the lateral or longitudinal displacement of the coupler heads. The levers heretofore developed to accomplish this end employ a complicated set of linkages which are expensive to manufacture and install. Moreover, such linkages utilize cotters and washers for fastening devices at critical points so thatthe sliding parts of such linkages are often loosely fitted and thereby tend to wear rapidly and bind.

The present inventionprovides an uncoupling lever having two members slidably mounted with respect to one another for accommodating the lateral and longitudinal displacement of the coupler head. The uncoupling lever is secured to the car frame by a bracket of simple yet highly reliable construction.

Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of a railway car uncoupling lever which remains in operative engagement with the 3,409,146 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 lock lifter assembly of the coupler head irrespective of the lateral or longitudinal position of the coupler head; the provision of an uncoupling lever assembly which accommodates the lateral displacement of the coupler head to which it is attached; the provision of an uncoupling lever which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture; and the provision of an uncoupling lever which is durable and reliable in operation. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the end of a railaway car showing an uncoupling lever assembly constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention mounted thereon, the uncoupling lever being shown in phantom when the center sill of the railway car is in an extended position; FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a railway car showing the uncoupling lever assembly of the present mvention mounted thereon;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a railway car showing the uncoupling lever assembly of the present invention mounted thereon; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken 44 and 5-5, respectively, of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 2 designates an uncoupling lever assembly forming part of a railway car 4, car 4 being of extended length and having a frame 6 which terminates in an end sill 8. Extending longitudinally through frame 6 and projecting centrally beyond end sill 8 is a center sill 10, the side walls of which are flared outwardly in the formation of a flared end portion 12 which, in turn, terminates at an outwardly facing striker plate 13. Conventionally carried within center sill 10 is a coupler 14 having a coupler shank 16 and a coupler head 17, the latter of which includes a movable knuckle 18. The inwardly presented end of coupler shank 16 is pinned to a yoke assembly (not shown) so that coupler shank 16 is free to traverse the distance between the flared side walls of flared end portion 12. Such a coupler and center sill construction is conventional on current railway cars of extended length and permits such cars to negotiate curved segments of track without derailmg. If railway car 4 possesses a cushioned underframe, center sill 10 will be capable of limited longitudinal movement wit-h respect to car frame 6 and, of course, when in operation coupler head 17 will then move both longitudinally and laterally with respect to car frame 6. lDepending from the bottom of coupler head 17 is a lock lifter assembly 20 which is contoured in the provision along lines of an arcuate channel 22 which downwardly terminates at a downwardly and outwardly presented lug 24. Lock lifter assembly 20 is conventionally connected to knuckle 18 internally of coupler head 17 so as to unlock or open knuckle 18 when actuated in the manner presently described. Moreover, for purposes of the present invention it is unimportant whether lock lifter assembly 20 is of the articulated or rotary variety. The foregoing construction, with the exception of uncoupling lever assembly 2, is conventional to many railway cars of current manufacture and will, therefore, not be discussed in further detail.

Uncoupling lever assembly 2 includes a bracket sup port member 30 integrally including a horizontal center plate 32 integrally provided at its one end with an up standing end plate 34 and at its other end with a depending end plate 36. Upstanding end plate 34 is bolted,

riveted, or otherwise rigidly fastened to the vertical face of end sill 8 in close proximity 'toone side of railway car 4 and in sucha manner that center plate 32 projects horizontally and outwardly from end sill 8. Center plate 32 and depending end plate 36 are provided with apertujres 38, 40, respectively, for engaging a U-shaped retention bracket 42. Retention bracket 42 is provided with vertically spaced legs 44, 46, which integrally merge into a vertical interconnecting bight portion 48. The free end of leg 46 is bent outwardly away from leg 44 in the provision of a hook portion 50 which can be manipulated through aperture when leg 46 is free. However, when leg 44 is presented substantially perpendicular to end plate 36, hook portion 50 bears against the back face of end plate 36 and prevents withdrawal of leg 46 from aperture 49. The free end of leg 44 adjacent center plate 32 is flattened and provided with an aperture 52 which marginally registers with aperture 38 in horizontal center plate 32 of support member 30. As will be seen by reference to FIG. 3, bracket 42 is held securely to bracket support member 30 with leg 46 presented perpendicular to end plate 36 by means of a single bolt 54 which extends through the aligned apertures 52, 38, and clamps the end of leg 44 to horizontal center plate 32. In this connection, it should be noted that when retention bracket 42 is installed on support member 30, bight portion 48 of the former will be vertically presented in outwardly spaced relation to depending end plate 36 of the latter to define a journal aperture 56.

Extending between lock lifter assembly 20 and retention bracket 42 is an uncoupling lever comprising inner and outer slide members 62, 64, respectively, which are slidably mounted with respect to one another. Inner slide member 62 includes a flattened shank portion 66 of substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and having a planar bearing surface 68 and a planar back face 70 located inspaced parallel relation to one another and marginally connected by side faces 71. At its one end shank portion 66 is integrally provided with guide tabs 72 which extend outwardly along its side margins beyond bearing surface 68 where they are bent over in the provision of opposed retention ears 74 located in outwardly spaced relation 'to bearing surface 68. At its other end, shank portion 66 integrally merges into a vertically presented connecting portion 76 which, in turn, integrally merges into a horizontally extending end portion 78 of circular cross-section shape. End portion 78 is bent downwardly and around in the provision of a hook 80 which is contoured to fit through arcuate channel 22 of lock lifter assembly 20. As will be seen by reference to FIG. 3, the extreme terminal portion of hook 80 terminates in juxtaposition to the inwardly presented face of lug 24 so that when inner slide :member 62 is rotated in the proper direction the terminal portion of hook 80 will engage lug' 24 and lift lock lifter assembly 20, thereby opening knuckle 18. Inasmuch as lock lifter assembly 20 is a conventional and standardized piece of railroad equipment, hook 80 is fashioned similar to the hooks found on conventional uncoupling levers.

Outer slide member 64 also includes a flattened shank portion 82 of rectangular shape and having a substantially planar bearing surface 84 and a back face 86, the former of which slidably abuts against bearing surface 68 of shank portion 66 while the latter is engaged by retention ears 74. Bearing surface 84 and back face 86 are marginally connected by side faces 87. At its one end, shank portion 82 is provided with guide tabs 88 which extend past side faces 71 of shank portion 66 and slightly therebeyond are bent over in the provision of retention ears 90 which engage back face 70 of shank portion 66. Moreover, as will be seen by reference to FIG. 4, guide tabs 72 engage side faces 87 of shank portion 82 while retention ears 90 engage back face 70 thereof, so that shank portions 66, 82, are held in slidable relation to one another. Furthermore, tabs 72, 88, and retention cars 74,

90, hold flat bearing surfaces 68, 84, in facewise slidable abutment so that any torque applied to outer slide member 64 will be transferred to inner slide member 62 for actuating lock lifter assembly 20. Shank portions 66, 82, should, of course, be equal in Width and should have substantially uniform width and thickness for their entire lengths.

7 At its other or outer end shank portion 82 integrally merges into a U-shaped connecting portion 92 of circular cross-sectional'shape including spaced substantially parallel legs 94, 96, which are connected by a bight portion 98 which extends loosely through journal aperture 56 formed by bracket 42 and support member 30. Leg 96 merges into a depending handle portion 100, which is located adjacent the end corner of car 4 for convenient grasping by trainmen.

In use, the trainman merely grasps handle portion and lifts upwardly away from car frame 6 whereby bight portion 98 rotates within journal aperture 56. The torque generated is transferred to inner slide member 62 along shank portions 66, 82, causing hook 80 to rotate and bear against lug 24 so as to raise lock lifter assembly 20- and open knuckle 18.

Lateral displacement of outer slide member 64 is limited by normally depending legs 94, 96, of U-shaped connecting portion 92 which prevent bight portion 98 from slipping out of journal aperture 56. Since shank portions 66, 82, are slidably mounted with respect to one another coupler head 17 is free to move laterally as well as longitudinally with respect to car frame 6. Any change in the distance between lock filter assembly 20 and bracket 42 caused by a longitudinal or lateral displacement of coupler head 17 is compensated for by the slidable inter connection of slide members 62, 64. Moreover, irrespective of the position of coupler head 17 beyond end sill 8, knuckle 18 can be opened merely by lifting handle portion 100. Furthermore, it is important to note that bight portion 98 of outer slide member 64 is loosely fitted within journal aperture 56 so as not to bind within or damage bracket 42 when the angular relation between end sill 8 and uncoupling lever 60 changes as center sill 10 moves to-and-fro.

Unlocking lever assembly 2 contains no complicated or finely machined parts and, therefore, lends itself to simple and inexpensive manufacturing techniques and operations. Slide members 62, 64, can readily be produced in a simple forging operation and guide tabs 72, 88, and retention ears 74, 90, can be bent into position by use of a suitable press. Bracket support member 30 and bracket 42 utilize a minimum of parts and only one bolt is required to hold the two together in the formation of journal aperture 56. If bent or otherwise damaged in use, unlocking lever assembly 2 can be repaired in any railroad shop, generally with ordinary blacksmith hand tools. Thus car 4 need not sit idle for long periods with valuable lading contained therein while awaiting the arrival of replacement parts.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. An uncoupling lever assembly for a railway car having a frame which carries a coupler mounted for limited displacement with respect to the frame and terminating at a coupler head provided with a lock filter; said assembly comprising an inner slide member including a hooked end portion for engaging the lock lifter and a first shank portion of substantially uniform cross-sectional shape and having a first bearing face and a first back fa'ce opposite the first bearing face; an outer slide memher including a second shank portion of substantially uniform cross-sectional shape, a handle portion, and a connecting portion interposed between the second shank and handle portions, the second shank portion having a second bearing face contoured to conform to and in facewise slidable abutment with the first bearing face and a second back face opposite the second bearing face; first guide tabs on the end of the first shank portion opposite the hooked end portion, the first guide tabs projecting beyond the first bearing surface and being bent over at their ends in the provision of first retention ears which slidably engage the second back face; second guide tabs on the end of the second shank portion located opposite the connecting portion, the second guide tabs projecting beyond the second bearing face and being bent over at their ends in the provision of second retention ears which slidably engage the first back face; and supporting means mounted on the end of the car frame in close proximity to the side of the car, the connecting portion being journaled in the supporting means; whereby the first and second shank portions slide longitudinally but not transversely with respect to one another and are non-rotatively connected so that a torque applied at the handle will be transferred to the hooked end portion.

2. An uncoupling lever assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second shank portions are rectangular in cross-sectional shape.

3. An uncoupling lever assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second tabs are formed integral with the first and second shank portions, respectively.

4. An uncoupling lever assembly according to claim 1 wherein the bearing surfaces are planar.

5. An uncoupling lever assembly according to claim 1 wherein the guide tabs are in pairs with the ends of the retention ears on each pair of tabs located in spaced relation.

6. An uncoupling lever assembly according to claim 1 in which the supporting means includes elements defining a journal aperture in which the connecting portion is journaled, and in which the connecting portion is provided with stop means which engage such elements so that the connecting portion does not slide axially out of the journal aperture.

7. An uncoupling lever assembly according to claim 6 in which the connecting portion is U-shaped and includes first and second legs integrally joined by a bight portion, the bight portion being rotatably carried in the journal aperture, the first leg being integrally joined to the outer shank portion and the second leg being integrally joined to the handle portion.

8. An uncoupling lever according to claim 1 in which the supporting means comprises a support member rigidly mounted on the car frame and including horizontal and vertical integrally joined plates, and a U-shaped bracket projecting beyond the vertical plate so as to define a laterally opening journal aperture therewith, the connecting portion of the outer slide member being rotatably mounted in the journal aperture.

9. An uncoupling lever assembly according to claim 8 in which the vertical plate is provided with an aperture and in which the U-shaped bracket is provided with first and second legs, the first leg being bent at its end in the provision of a hook which can be manipulated through the aperture when the second leg is unattached, the hook being adapted to prevent withdrawal of the first leg from the aperture when the first leg is presented substantially perpendicular to the vertical plate; the supporting means being further characterized by means for firmly securing the second leg to the support member with the first leg presented substantially perpendicular to the vertical plate.

10. An uncoupling lever assembly according to claim 9 in which the connecting portion is U-shaped and includes first and second legs integrally joined by a horizontal bight portion, the bight portion being rotatably carried in the journal aperture, the first leg being integrally joined to the outer shank portion and the second leg being integrally joined to-the handle portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 983,773 2/1911 Scherer 2l3171 1,026,658 5/1912 Coffin 213-171 1,926,117 9/1933 Small 213-167 2,839,204 6/1958 Lahey et a1. 213171 3,227,289 1/1966 CSeri 213166 X 3,232,444 2/1966 HalOn 213166 3,258,133 6/1966 Hawkins 2l3219 3,239,074 3/1966 Boone et al. 2l3211 I DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner. 

